9th Circuit: Suit Over Confiscation of Inmate's Wiccan Materials Should Not Be Dismissed on Summary Judgment

In Goff v. Rode , (9th Cir., Aug. 18, 2026), the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision held that an inmate presented sufficient evidence to create a dispute that should go to trial over whether confiscation of his Wiccan religious items constituted a substantial burden on his religious exercise. The majority said in part: ... [A] jury could reasonably conclude that the deprivation of…